Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-02
FILL THE SLOUGH.
INTERESTING MEETING OF CITI-
ZENS LAST NIGHT.
Good and Sufficient Reasons Why
the Market Tax Should be
Voted for Monday.

Last evening the Executive Committe
of the improvement Association met at ~
] street, and several matters of public intel
est were discussed. A number OF intel
ested citizens were present, and the variou
speakers were listened to attentively.
The meeting was called to order by tn
Chairman, DR.. G. L. Simmons, who said 1t
object was to devise means to secure, If pos
sible, the carrying of the proposition at tn
polls next Monday of levying the tax for tn
purpose of establishing the public market
For fifteen years he said he was membe
of the Board of Health, and during all tina
time they wrestled with the south portion
of the slough, that part now sought to b.
condemned. He was present at least a
twenty meetings at which they sought tt
abate the nuisance. The people through
out the city were supposed to be unanimous
for this proposition; that there was no op
position to il; that it would not be necessary
to work for its adoption. The committee
as every intelligent citizen in the city knows
were free from collision, and no one was to
unexpectedly we have been confronted
with some
COMMUNICATIONS IN THE BEE,
Which impugned the motives of the gen.
tlemen on this committee. These insinua-
tons are cowardly, covert, not signed by
any one we can get at. They insinuate that
there is q cat in the meal bag, but hide
their identity. This committee needs nc
defense at my hands. They have been do
ing, are doing, and will do all in their
power for the improvement of Sacramento.
If the people do not support US at the polls
on Monday next, it is to their detriment.
and whatever the result may be, we will
rest assured of one fact-that we have hon.
estly and honorabiy discharged our whole
duty. The committee has made its plans,
they have solved the oft-repeated and per-
picking question: What shall we do with
China slough? And it is for the people
either to indorse or reject it. An exhibit
ton building is to be erected near the depot
for the purpose of making display of the
varied products of our section to attract the
attention of Eastern people, to get them to
settle in our midst, buy farms, build up
and make this section what nature de-
signed it should be-the most prosperous
on the coast. For this purpose 81 600 has
already been raised, and as much more will
be contributed ii necessary. l should like
to ask those who are opposed TO filling
China slough if they are also opposed to
this exposition building? If
THE EXHIBITION BUILDING
Is erected how will it do to allow strangers
to look out of its doors upon the rear por-
ton of Chinatown? If Chinatown, with
its unsightly appearance and its unbearable
smells, is to remain in its present condition,
of what avail would be the exhibition
building? Some public spirited gentlemen
are ready to build an electric street railway
along Third street. If the slough is not
filled in, it must be erected on trestles. 1t
is an eyesore, and disgusts every stranger
who enters our gates, and in entering Sac
ramento this filthy place is the first that
greets their view.
The special committee on the purchase
of market-place have prepared and pub
lished an address, stating in general terms
the merits of the proposition. The facts
therein referred to have been so often dis
cussed in your committee by reliable sur
veyors and public officials, that it is un-
necessary to recapitulate the evidence
whereby it was found that $50, 900 would be
more than sufficient for the purchase and
filling of these lots. 1t is probable that the
purchase, if made, will only result in the
removal of the Chinese tenements, and
then the filling will be delayed until the
railroad is ready to cooperate. This may
require some explanation. 1t was proven
by statements of experts, that
FILLING By A DREDGER
Would cost about 121 cents per cubic yard,
and filling by teams would cost about %
cents per cubic yard. Many claimed that
the dredger would not do the work,
and that the sand would bank in
the conducting pipes, and it was
stated that Won Schmidt abandoned
his contract at twelve and one-half cents in
despair. Now we have the evidence of his
engineer that the task is feasible, and that
Won Schmidt left this job to seize another
at thirty cents per cubic yard on the coast
near Los Angeles. The proprietor of one
came, looked at the ground and declared
the task feasible. He had built these
dredgers, and said that the amount of dirt
already removed by them in this State is
equal to the amount of earth to be exca-
waited at the Panama canal. He offered to
build and guarantee his dredger to do the
work. The delay will therefore only be
caused by two things-the absence of any
one with means enough to handle the con-
tract, and the willingness of the railroad to
begin the work.
Governor Stanford and others declared
their opinion that the work must and shall
be done. AT present they are building
railroads in every direction as fast as they
can get men, money and material, so as to
pre-empt all the choice routes before the
advent of Eastern railways. They are now
helping our city immensely in this work
l.. =,
not ask them to lay aside any other work
In a year or two they will be ready to do
this filling, and we hope they will be driven
to it by want of ground for shops. They
will put on dredger that will
FILL IN THE WHOLE SLOUGH,
evenly and cheaply. We must recollect
that if railroad is good, yet depot or sta
ton is a necessary accompaniment. We
have roads leading into Sacramento, ard
we ask the people to travel over them tc
trade with us. When they come here with
wood, coal, hay, grain, hops, wines, veg
etables, fruits and ice. we bid them hustle
their wares along | street among the many
freight cars. We give them no depot OF
station.
The grading of NJ street helped property
from Front to Tenth street by making
travel easy between those points. Improve
| street. remove the track and its ugly
freight cars tnerefrcm, and property on ]
street, from Front to Tenth, will be bene
flied. We need all the thoroughfares W,
have eastward from the river 'front.'
Many persons are somewhat confused OF
one point. They suppose that the purpos,
of the movement is to collect all the butch
ers under one roof. There has been no dis
cussion of this point by anyone, therefor
it may be presumptious to anticipate tn,
subject. But let this be said
While in Northern cities the selling O
meat is assembled in one place there ar
reasons why this is not likely to be tn
case in a warm climate. Meat dealer.
require refrigerators and should be, as they
are, scattered through the town and con
venient to their customers, who often pre-
| fer to go for their meat Vegetables, Oh
the other hand, are usually carried around
| to the consumer and are delivered to tn
| retailer in very different manner from
meat. The market, probably, will
NEVER BECOME MEAT MARKET.
Each morning there will be gathered al
array of wagons and vendors making dis
play of vegetables and fruits which shall
| be the finest object lesson and exhibition
of products to all visitors and we do know
that strangers always go to the markets
| they can. Towards noon the gatherin
will disperse and the premises be swept an,
cleaned for the next morning.
| P. E. Plat said he was surprised to hea
that anyone in Sacramento objected to thi
tax. He thought the health OF the city de